Bigfoot sightings have now been explained in groundbreaking new study

A scientist has come forward with an explanation for Bigfoot sightings, having dedicated an entire study to getting to the bottom of the matter.

The mystery of Bigfoot is one that continues to baffle the planet, with grainy footage from deep within the North American wilderness not doing much to prove its existence – surprising, I know.

But while some images and videos may seem laughable, the myth of the large, hairy, ape-like creature often commonly referred to as Sasquatch in Canadian and American folklore has never actually been disproven.

What’s more, there are so many damn sightings cropping up all the time... Are all of our eyes realy deceiving us, or is there something legit in all this?

Data scientist Floe Foxton decided to crunch the numbers in a new study, which was published on 18 January this year in bioRxiv.

It delves into whether these sightings may have a much simpler explanation, with Foxton writing: “It has been suggested that the American black bear (Ursus americanus) may be responsible for a significant number of purported sightings of an alleged unknown species of hominid in North America.

GRANGER - Historical Picture Archive/Alamy Stock Photo

“Previous analyses have identified correlation between ‘sasquatch’ or ‘bigfoot’ sightings and black bear populations in the Pacific Northwest using ecological niche models and simple models of expected animal sightings.”

Foxton’s study expands the analysis to the entire US and Canada by ‘regressing sasquatch sightings on bear populations in each state/province while adjusting for human population and land area in a mixed-effects model’.

The data expert said sightings were ‘statistically significantly’ associated with bear populations, with one ‘sighting’ expected for every 900 bears on average.

“Based on statistical considerations, it is likely that many supposed sasquatch are really misidentified known forms,” Foxton said.

He used data from the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, which keeps a geographical database of sightings from eyewitness, most of which date from the second half of the 20th Century onwards.

Foxton then compared these figures with local data on black bear density and spread, along with the density of human population, to see if changes in one could be associated with changes in the other.

marinuse - Colorado/Alamy Stock Photo

For example, he found that areas with high numbers of black bears and humans - such as parts of the Pacific Northwest - led to higher numbers of Bigfoot sightings.

In places like Texas and Florida, black bears aren’t as common, despite the fact Bigfoot sightings are relatively common, but this is believed to be an exception to the rule.

"Notably, sasquatch sightings have been reported in states with no known breeding black bear populations," Foxon said.

"Although this may be interpreted as evidence for the existence of an unknown hominid in North America, it is also explained by misidentification of other animals (including humans), among other possibilities."

In closing, Foxton added: "In conclusion, if Bigfoot is there, it may be many bears."

Boring.